Wor-Wic Community College has earned a four-year grant to support campus-based child care services to help low-income parents further their education.
The Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Wor-Wic was granted $119,414 to help eligible students pay for child care.
“We’re excited, because this will be a benefit for many students who are parents. Having reliable, affordable child care can help them focus on their schoolwork,” said Melanie S. Windsor, CCAMPIS advisor. “We have had the grant in the past, and now it has expanded to allow students to get assistance with care for all ages of children, starting at infancy and going up to school-aged children who need before- or after-care.”
Windsor explained that any credit student whose children are being cared for at a licensed child care center is eligible to apply. The amount subsidized by the grant depends on several factors such as income and number of classes in which the student is enrolled. Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the deadline, March 1, is a good place to start, according to Windsor.
“I encourage all credit students who are parents to apply,” Windsor said. “We have many resources in place to help students succeed.”
Students who get funding from the grant can enroll children in any licensed child care center in the community, including Wor-Wic’s child development center, which accepts children aged 2-5 and is located on campus. The Wor-Wic child development center is accredited by the Maryland Department of Education and holds a level five quality rating, the highest possible, from Maryland EXCELS, the state’s rating system for licensed child care and early education.
For information about the CCAMPIS program and how to apply, email
mwindsor@worwic.edu.